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Charlevoix County materials management committee advances outreach plans, pauses for GFL tour
Summary
At its Sept. 25 meeting the Charlevoix County Materials Management Planning Committee recessed for a walking tour of the GFL Transfer Station, reviewed the materials management planning process with nearly 1,000 survey responses reported, and set follow-up tasks including HHW data and outreach events ahead of a 2028 recycling millage vote.
The Charlevoix County Materials Management Planning Committee met Sept. 25, 2025, at the GFL Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility in Traverse City, recessed for a walking tour of the facility, and returned to review progress on the county's materials management plan.
Mathew Cooke of DPA–Networks Northwest provided the process update, reporting the project has pushed nearly 1,000 survey responses overall, including 366 responses from Charlevoix County. Cooke said hauler and operator interviews are being scheduled, community outreach via social media, press releases and events continues, the business survey will be pursued in October, and local-unit-of-government survey and data collection are ongoing.
Committee members discussed a range of outreach opportunities and operational gaps. Members identified potential events to boost participation — including the Boyne City Expo, the Beaver Island Community Center and an NHS recycling-promotion effort — and raised the need to improve recycling access for large-scale properties such as apartments and condominiums. The group also discussed removal of construction waste from Beaver Island, supporting residents with compost barrels, and a regional example in Emmet County that already contracts a hauler for food-waste collection.
The committee flagged recycling drop-off center micro-grants as a potential tool to increase access and site security and discussed ways to spread costs and staff time across the county. Members requested clarification of landfill figures for Charlevoix County after noting “high industrial waste numbers,” and asked staff member Josh Cline to provide 2025 household hazardous waste (HHW) numbers and statistics as a follow-up. The committee also noted a Charlevoix County recycling millage vote scheduled for 2028 and discussed options for recycling bulky items such as furniture and tires.
Votes at a glance
• Motion to recess for a GFL walking tour — moved by Victor VanDeventer, supported by Robin Hissong-Berry; motion carried unanimously (tally not specified in minutes).
• Motion to approve the Sept. 25, 2025 agenda — moved by Victor VanDeventer, supported by Robin Hissong-Berry; motion carried unanimously (tally not specified).
• Motion to approve the Aug. 28, 2025 meeting minutes — moved by Robin Hissong-Berry, supported by Kyra Allen; motion carried unanimously (tally not specified).
No members of the public spoke during the meeting’s public-comment periods, and no direct quotations were recorded in the minutes. The committee adjourned at 12:29 p.m.
